From aespa to The Boyz, K-pop stars sing theme songs for Hollywood movies

K-pop girl group aespa / Courtesy of SM Entertainment

A growing number of K-pop singers are lending their voices to the theme songs of Hollywood movies, seeking to reach a broader audience worldwide.

On April 4, girl group aespa unveiled “Die Trying,” a tune for the soundtrack of Netflix’s epic space opera film, “Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver.” The quartet collaborated with Korean American producer DJ TOKiMONSTA to release a song for one of the main characters of the movie, Nemesis — a cyborg swordmaster played by Korean actress Bae Doo-na.

“Die Trying” is part of the “Inspired By” EP that carries a series of theme songs for the characters of “Rebel Moon.” The EP also features Canadian singer-songwriter Jessie Reyez and Dominican rapper Tokischa.

“Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver” is a sequel to the 2023 movie, “Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire.” Set on the moon of Veldt, it follows soldier Kora — played by Sofia Boutella — and other warriors who battle against the oppressive force Motherworld to safeguard their home. It is scheduled to be released on Netflix on April 19.

This is not the first time that aespa has sung a song for a Hollywood movie. The SM Entertainment stars put out “Hold On Tight” for the 2023 biographical thriller film “Tetris” in March 2023, while unleashing “Get Goin'” for the Emmy Award-winning musical series, “Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock” last month.

On April 5, Jacob and Kevin from K-pop act The Boyz picked up the baton and rolled out “Electric Energy (Reimagination),” a theme song for the 2024 spy action comedy film, “Argylle.” It is a newly arranged version of the disco-infused track of the same name by Ariana DeBose, Boy George and Nile Rodgers. For the new rendition, the two K-pop singers added a ballad feel, reinterpreting the original track in their own style to give it a new twist.

Directed by Matthew Vaughn, Argylle revolves around an introverted author named Elly Conway, who is drawn into the realm of espionage when the plot of her best-selling spy novel — which follows secret agent Argylle — begins to mirror the covert actions of a real spy organization.

Before aespa and The Boyz, other K-pop stars like Jimin of boy band BTS and girl group FIFTY FIFTY also featured on the soundtracks of different Hollywood works. Last year, Jimin, JVKE and Muni Long released “Angel Pt.1,” a theme song for the American action film, “Fast & Furious 10” — also known as “Fast X” — which debuted at No. 65 on the Billboard’s main singles chart. FIFTY FIFTY put out “Barbie Dreams” for the fantasy comedy film “Barbie,” which features American rapper Kaliii.